Thermoplastic extruded reinforced piping to replace aluminum or other metals is becoming increasingly utilized in a wide variety of applications, generally to transport various fluids, such as liquids and/or gases, under pressure through the piping from a source to a destination. In many cases, the piping must span relatively long distances, and must contain pressurized fluids therein over these distances. Depending on the application, for example, the piping may extend over distances of many meters or kilometers. Thus, multiple sections of pipe are coupled with, for example, injection molded joints and assembled to provide a continuous pipe system for a fluid over such long distances. Pipe joints may be utilized to couple pipe sections together to facilitate the combination of the pipe sections to create continuous pipe systems.
In many cases, a pipe system may be required to change directions as it extends over a certain distance. For example, rather than extend longitudinally over an entire distance, a pipe system may be required to turn at, for example, a 30 degree, 45 degree, 60 degree, or 90 degree angle, or at any other suitable angle. In other cases, the size of the piping system may be required to increase or decrease. The pipe joints utilized to couple pipe sections together may facilitate these directional or size changes. For example, an elbow joint or T-joint may provide a directional change, and a reducer joint may decrease (or increase) the size of the piping system.
In the case of, for example, high pressure or high stress or strain applications, the strength and burst pressure ratings of piping, including pipe sections and pipe joints must be taken into account. In the case of, for example, injection molded fiber reinforced thermoplastic piping, particular attention must be paid to the burst strength. The weakest point in such a molding is at the knit line, where the flow fronts meet during the injection molding process. It would be industrially significant to provide improved pressure ratings for fiber reinforced polymer piping systems. Accordingly, improved piping, such as improved pipe joints and pipe sections, is desired in the art. In particular, apparatus and methods for producing piping having increase strengths and burst pressures would be advantageous. Further, apparatus and methods for producing reinforced piping that takes into account knit line concerns would be advantageous.